玻璃門的安全問題 Safety of glass doors
問題︰
據報，數月前某百貨公司入口的一扇玻璃門突然倒下並壓傷兩名職員。近日有市民致函本人反映，其家人被某屋苑內某座樓宇入口一扇正倒下的玻璃門壓傷。玻璃門倒下的意外接連發生，令人關注玻璃門的安全問題。就此，政府可否告知本會：
（一）二○一五年至今，每年涉及玻璃門的意外所引致的傷亡人數，以及當中分別有多少人被正倒下的玻璃門壓傷或被電動玻璃門夾傷；
（二）過去三年，政府有否與建造業相關專業團體商討玻璃門的設計、用料、測試和保養等問題，以期採取改善措施（例如在門楣位置加裝鐵鏈），使玻璃門鉸鏈一旦鬆脫時玻璃門不會立即倒下；若有，詳情為何；若否，原因為何；及
（三）會否向有關的政府部門增撥資源，以加強對各類手動或電動的玻璃門的安全巡查及監管工作；若會，詳情為何；若否，原因為何？
答覆︰
主席：
根據《建築物條例》（第123章）及其附屬法例，於圍牆或建築物入口豎設玻璃門一般屬建築工程。無論有關工程屬須事先獲得屋宇署批准及同意方可進行的工程，或屬「小型工程監管制度」下的小型工程或豁免工程，均受《建築物條例》及屋宇署發出的作業備考及守則規管。其中，屋宇署已就於圍牆或建築物入口豎設金屬閘發出作業備考，就其設計、安裝、保養及維修提供指引，供建築業界遵從，相關指引亦適用於玻璃門。有關作業備考訂明，電閘的操作應參考機電工程署發出的《電閘、電動玻璃門及電動捲閘裝置操作守則》。
經徵詢屋宇署、消防處及機電工程署後，發展局現就問題綜合回覆如下：
（一）二○一五年至今，消防處每年接獲與玻璃門意外相關而要求消防人員到場協助拯救的召喚所涉及的傷亡人數如下（處方並未就數字作進一步分類備存，以顯示當中多少涉及被正倒下的玻璃門壓傷或電動玻璃門夾傷）：
| 年份 | 受傷人數 | 死亡人數 |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 | 7 | 0 |
|
2017 （1至9月） |
0 | 0 |
| 總數 | 10 | 0 |
同一時期，機電工程署接獲被電動玻璃門開關夾傷的人數如下:
| 年份 | 被電動玻璃門開關夾傷的人數 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 0 |
|
2017 （1至9月） |
0 |
| 總數 | 1 |
我們未有資料顯示上述兩個來源的數據是否涵蓋相同個案。
（二）如上所述，豎設手動或電動玻璃門已經受《建築物條例》及屋宇署發出的作業備考及守則規管。一般而言，玻璃門應適當設計及建造，以確保玻璃門在一般使用情況下，其運作令人滿意及符合安全，有關大廈業主及管理人員亦需確保玻璃門安裝合宜及安全運作，並需定時維修保養。
建造業界普遍接受有關的作業備考及守則，政府會繼續與業界保持溝通，按需要檢討相關的作業備考及守則。
（三）大廈業主須負責維修和管理名下物業和樓宇的公用部分，包括手動或電動的玻璃門等裝置。如屋宇署得悉並認為玻璃門相關工程變得／可變得危險，可根據《建築物條例》命令有關業主糾正或作出補救。而現時署方推行的強制驗樓計劃，亦已涵蓋檢驗樓宇公用部分設施，包括有關大廈的手動或電動玻璃門，以確保該等設施的安全。
就電動玻璃門而言，儘管統計數字顯示有關意外的風險不高，機電工程署會繼續按照相關守則監管電動玻璃門運作。
完
Question:
It has been reported that a few months ago, a glass door at the entrance to a department store suddenly fell down, crushing and injuring two staff members. A member of the public recently wrote to me relaying that a family member of him was crushed and injured by a falling glass door at the entrance to a building of a housing estate. The successive occurrence of accidents involving the falling down of glass doors has aroused concerns over the safety of glass doors. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the casualties resulting from accidents involving glass doors in each year since 2015 and, among such figures, the respective numbers of persons injured as a result of crushing by falling glass doors or pinching by electrically operated glass doors;
(2) whether the Government discussed, in the past three years, with the relevant professional bodies of the construction industry issues such as the design, materials, testing and maintenance of glass doors, with a view to implementing improvement measures (e.g. installation of an iron chain at the lintel) such that in the event of the hinges of a glass door coming off, the glass door will not fall down immediately; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) whether it will allocate additional resources to the relevant government departments for stepping up safety inspections and monitoring of various types of manually or electrically operated glass doors; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
In general, the erection of a glass door at a fence wall or at an entrance of a building is considered as "building works" under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Chapter 123) and its subsidiary legislation. Regardless of whether the works concerned are those that require the Buildings Department (BD)'s prior approval of plans and consent for commencement, minor works under the Minor Works Control System or exempted works, they are subject to regulation under the BO and the practice notes and codes issued by the BD. In particular, the BD has issued a practice note to provide guidelines for compliance by the building industry on the design, installation, maintenance and repair of metal gates at fence walls or entrances of buildings, which also apply to glass doors. The said practice note states that reference should be made to the "Code of Practice for Installation of Electrically Operated Sliding Gates, Sliding Glass Doors and Rolling Shutters" published by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) for electrically operated gates.
In consultation with the BD, the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the EMSD, the Development Bureau provides a consolidated reply as follows:
(1) Since 2015, the number of casualties involved in accidents each year related to glass doors for which the FSD received calls requesting for its rescue assistance at the scene is as follows (The FSD does not keep separate statistics on the respective number of persons injured as a result of being crushed by falling glass doors or pinched by electrically operated sliding glass doors) :
During the same period, the number of injuries caused by electrically operated sliding glass doors reported to the EMSD is as follows:
We do not have information on whether the two sets of figures above cover the same cases.
(2) As mentioned above, the erection of manual glass doors and electrically operated sliding glass doors is subject to the control of the BO as well as the practice notes and codes issued by the BD. In general, glass doors should be properly designed and constructed to ensure their satisfactory and safe operation under the general conditions of use. The property owners and building managerial staff concerned should make sure that a glass door is installed properly and operated safely. They should also carry out regular repair and maintenance in respect of the glass door.
The construction industry generally accepts the relevant practice notes and codes. The Government will continue to maintain dialogue with the industry and review the relevant practice notes and codes if necessary.
(3) A property owner has the responsibility for repairing and managing his/her property and the common parts of the building, including installations such as manual glass doors and electrically operated sliding glass doors. Where the BD finds the works related to a glass door have been rendered dangerous or are liable to become dangerous, he may, by order under the BO, require the relevant owner to carry out rectification or remedial works. Currently, the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme being implemented by the BD already covers the inspection of manual glass doors and electrically operated sliding glass doors in the common parts of a building to ensure the safety of such facilities.
Regarding electrically operated sliding glass doors,"
It has been reported that a few months ago, a glass door at the entrance to a department store suddenly fell down, crushing and injuring two staff members. A member of the public recently wrote to me relaying that a family member of him was crushed and injured by a falling glass door at the entrance to a building of a housing estate. The successive occurrence of accidents involving the falling down of glass doors has aroused concerns over the safety of glass doors. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the casualties resulting from accidents involving glass doors in each year since 2015 and, among such figures, the respective numbers of persons injured as a result of crushing by falling glass doors or pinching by electrically operated glass doors;
(2) whether the Government discussed, in the past three years, with the relevant professional bodies of the construction industry issues such as the design, materials, testing and maintenance of glass doors, with a view to implementing improvement measures (e.g. installation of an iron chain at the lintel) such that in the event of the hinges of a glass door coming off, the glass door will not fall down immediately; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) whether it will allocate additional resources to the relevant government departments for stepping up safety inspections and monitoring of various types of manually or electrically operated glass doors; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
In general, the erection of a glass door at a fence wall or at an entrance of a building is considered as "building works" under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Chapter 123) and its subsidiary legislation. Regardless of whether the works concerned are those that require the Buildings Department (BD)'s prior approval of plans and consent for commencement, minor works under the Minor Works Control System or exempted works, they are subject to regulation under the BO and the practice notes and codes issued by the BD. In particular, the BD has issued a practice note to provide guidelines for compliance by the building industry on the design, installation, maintenance and repair of metal gates at fence walls or entrances of buildings, which also apply to glass doors. The said practice note states that reference should be made to the "Code of Practice for Installation of Electrically Operated Sliding Gates, Sliding Glass Doors and Rolling Shutters" published by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) for electrically operated gates.
In consultation with the BD, the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the EMSD, the Development Bureau provides a consolidated reply as follows:
(1) Since 2015, the number of casualties involved in accidents each year related to glass doors for which the FSD received calls requesting for its rescue assistance at the scene is as follows (The FSD does not keep separate statistics on the respective number of persons injured as a result of being crushed by falling glass doors or pinched by electrically operated sliding glass doors) :
| Year | No. of persons injured | No. of persons killed |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 | 7 | 0 |
|
2017 (January to September) |
0 | 0 |
| Total | 10 | 0 |
During the same period, the number of injuries caused by electrically operated sliding glass doors reported to the EMSD is as follows:
| Year | No. of injuries caused by electrically operated sliding glass doors |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 0 |
|
2017 (January to September) |
0 |
| Total | 1 |
We do not have information on whether the two sets of figures above cover the same cases.
(2) As mentioned above, the erection of manual glass doors and electrically operated sliding glass doors is subject to the control of the BO as well as the practice notes and codes issued by the BD. In general, glass doors should be properly designed and constructed to ensure their satisfactory and safe operation under the general conditions of use. The property owners and building managerial staff concerned should make sure that a glass door is installed properly and operated safely. They should also carry out regular repair and maintenance in respect of the glass door.
The construction industry generally accepts the relevant practice notes and codes. The Government will continue to maintain dialogue with the industry and review the relevant practice notes and codes if necessary.
(3) A property owner has the responsibility for repairing and managing his/her property and the common parts of the building, including installations such as manual glass doors and electrically operated sliding glass doors. Where the BD finds the works related to a glass door have been rendered dangerous or are liable to become dangerous, he may, by order under the BO, require the relevant owner to carry out rectification or remedial works. Currently, the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme being implemented by the BD already covers the inspection of manual glass doors and electrically operated sliding glass doors in the common parts of a building to ensure the safety of such facilities.
Regarding electrically operated sliding glass doors,"
